2026 Volkswagen Tiguan SEL R-Line Turbo First Look: Big Power Boost for VW's Compact SUV
Of all VWs, the new Tiguan becomes the first in North America to get this performance engine.
Time to do a burnout in your new Volkswagen Tiguan? The automaker is leveraging the 2025 New York auto show to introduce a new variant of the upcoming new-generation Tiguan two-row compact crossover, a new range-topping SEL R-Line Turbo trim level that will join the lineup late, for the 2026 model year—the new Tiguan lands soon as a 2025 model-year introduction—as the fastest Tiguan for the U.S. to date.
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The SEL R-Line Turbo throws some octane on the third-generation Tiguan family that, again, is all-new for the 2025 model year. And yes, there is an SEL R-Line with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder in the 2025 Tiguan lineup. But for 2026, that top trim is replaced by this new SEL R-Line Turbo (note the additional name, "turbo") with the much more powerful version of the regular Tiguan's EA888 evo5 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. How much more powerful? It generates 268 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque—an impressive 67 hp and 51 lb-ft more than the entry-level engine that will continue to power the rest of the Tiguan family.
It marks the first application of the evo5 engine for North America—the Golf GTI has evo4. Europe offers the evo5 in the Volkswagen Tayron which is slightly larger than the Tiguan and has three rows of seats. When the next-generation Volkswagen Atlas comes out next year as a 2027 model, it will also use the evo5 engine.
The Tiguan's eight-speed automatic transmission and suspension are unchanged for SEL R-Line Turbo duty. Brakes see their discs grow by an inch in diameter, and all-wheel drive is standard.
Turbo Engine Enhancements
To derive more power from the EA888 engine, the evo5 in the 2026 Tiguan Turbo gets a larger turbocharger, stronger pistons, and variable valve lift on the intake and exhaust. The variable valve geometry is a game changer, providing more torque at low engine speeds and high power at the top end while eliminating much of the turbo lag, says product manager Melinda Godec.
Because it continues to use Miller-cycle technology and the third-generation Tiguan is about 170 pounds lighter than the outgoing model, even the SEL R-Line Turbo should continue to have good fuel economy—figures are not yet out—and it will run on regular gasoline, says Godec.
The third-generation Tiguan has all-new sheetmetal and is now on the MQB evo platform. It has a new look with a stronger face, slim headlights, and an illuminated VW logo and light bar front and back. It also has a shorter overhangs and an integrated spoiler. Essentially it looks less like a European wagon and more like a North American SUV.
How to Spot the Tiguan Turbo
The Tiguan Turbo gets a standard black roof and mirror caps and it rides on 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels. Oh, and if you peek at the tailgate, there is a Turbo badge back there. (Never mind that, yes, the rest of the Tiguan family also is turbocharged—the SEL R-Line Turbo gets a special notation of its forced induction engine.)
The 2025 Tiguan has an upgraded interior, a gear shifter on the steering column to open more space in the center console, and paddle shifters on the steering wheel. These features continue on the 2026 Tiguan generally and the SEL R-Line Turbo as well.
The Tiguan's next-generation infotainment system includes a 10.3-inch digital cockpit and a 15.0-inch center screen on the top trim.
Being a top-level trim, the Turbo has more standard features including wireless charging, App-Connect connectivity, three-zone climate control, head-up display, ambient lighting, a 12-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, power tailgate, and heated, cooled and massaging seats up front and heated rear seats and steering wheel.
Pricing will be announced closer to the sale date this fall. The full lineup includes the S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line which, again, will be replaced by the Turbo for 2026. Godec thinks this new Tiguan version will appeal to Golf GTI hatchback owners when they start a family and need more space but want the same zesty driving sensation. That's a bold statement about the SEL R-Line Turbo's athleticism—the GTI is one of the more fun-to-drive compacts out there—that we're eager to gauge for ourselves when the SUV comes out. GTI promises aside, about 15 percent of current Tiguan buyers opt for the top trim and Godec sees more performance enhancements arriving for the Tiguan over its lifecycle—not GTI or R levels, that would be going too far. But look for the SUV to keep getting better and, it seems, sportier.
Alisa Priddle joined MotorTrend in 2016 as the Detroit Editor. A Canadian, she received her Bachelor of Journalism degree from Carleton University in Ottawa, Ontario, and has been a reporter for 40 years, most of it covering the auto industry because there is no more fascinating arena to cover. It has it all: the vehicles, the people, the plants, the competition, the drama. Alisa has had a wonderfully varied work history as a reporter for four daily newspapers including the Detroit Free Press where she was auto editor, and the Detroit News where she covered the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies, as well as auto trade publication Wards, and two enthusiast magazines: Car & Driver and now MotorTrend. At MotorTrend Alisa is a judge for the MotorTrend Car, Truck, SUV and Person of the Year. She loves seeing a new model for the first time, driving it for the first time, and grilling executives for the stories behind them. In her spare time, she loves to swim, boat, sauna, and then jump into a cold lake or pile of snow.
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